You guys love lists, and we love to start our holiday weekend early, so thanks VH1 for putting together this 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time countdown. (Spoiler Alert: No Wavves…) You should compare it to VH1′s 100 Greatest Artists Of Rock & Roll from 1998 (back when VH1 was VH-1) to see some of the overlaps/differences. For starters: The Top 5 “Rock” vs “Of All Time” is the same group, except for Jimi Hendrix who’s been pushed to No. 6. It’ll also give you an idea of how VH1 defines rock & roll. And how much it sucks to be the Eagles. Trivia: Which artist has drunkenly crashed his car the most times? Highest ranked artist to be pelted with plastic bottles? Did Biggie beat Tupac? Which version of Journey made it? But it’s not all about long-suffering has-beens: I, for one, am happy for Def Leppard.
100 Alicia Keys
99 Hall & Oates
98 Depeche Mode
97 Pretenders
96 Journey
95 OutKast
94 Mariah Carey
93 Pearl Jam
92 LL Cool J
91 Green Day
90 Elvis Costello
89 Beastie Boys
88 Bee Gees
87 George Michael
86 N.W.A.
85 The Band
84 Curtis Mayfield
83 Earth, Wind and Fire
82 Steely Dan
81 ABBA
80 Mary J. Blige
79 Eminem
78 Judas Priest
77 Lynyrd Skynyrd
76 Run-D.M.C.
75 Rush
74 The Cure
73 Van Morrison
72 Janis Joplin
71 R.E.M.
70 Def Leppard
69 Tupac Shakur
68 Otis Redding
67 Coldplay
66 Justin Timberlake
65 The Doors
64 Talking Heads
63 Notorious B.I.G.
62 Genesis
61 Cream
60 Whitney Houston
59 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
58 Cheap Trick
57 Iggy & The Stooges
56 KISS
55 Peter Gabriel
54 Public Enemy
53 Little Richard
52 Beyoncé
51 Billy Joel
50 Sade
49 Parliament-Funkadelic
48 Rage Against The Machine
47 Jay-Z
46 Ramones
45 Al Green
44 Joni Mitchell
43 Ray Charles
42 Metallica
41 Van Halen
40 The Police
39 The Kinks
38 Sly & The Family Stone
37 Fleetwood Mac
36 Paul McCartney
35 Johnny Cash
34 Tina Turner
33 Guns N’ Roses
32 Black Sabbath
31 John Lennon
30 Aerosmith
29 Radiohead
28 Elton John
27 Aretha Franklin
26 Neil Young
25 Chuck Berry
24 The Velvet Underground
23 AC/DC
22 The Clash
21 Bruce Springsteen
20 Marvin Gaye
19 U2
18 Pink Floyd
17 Queen
16 Madonna
15 The Beach Boys
14 Nirvana
13 The Who
12 David Bowie
11 Bob Marley
10 Stevie Wonder
09 James Brown
08 Elvis Presley
07 Prince
06 Jimi Hendrix
05 Bob Dylan
04 Rolling Stones
03 Led Zeppelin
02 Michael Jackson
01 The Beatles
Stereogum will be at ATP NY this weekend and will be sure to congratulate No. 57 if we see them at the Sportsman Bar. (We’ll livetweet via @stereogum if AT&T cooperates.)
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I also agree with what others have said that if this were truly the 100 Greatest Artist “Of All Time” that Frank Sinatra should definitely have been included. And what about Nat King Cole?
Nice…Love them both along with Harry Bellefonte
i,m with you. i think where is iron maiden. hall and oates better than iron. alicia keys better than iron.etc,etc,etc…. iron should be on the list . besides that . good lits
YES…Supertramp…Jethro Tull…Roy Orbison…just to mention a few!….The Doors at number 65!!!…they should be in the top ten.
George Harrison belongs in the top 50 Why?
Concert for Bangladesh, Indian music exposure for the masses, My Sweet Lord, Something, Taxman…Rock’s spiritual voice.
Moody Blues also belongs in the top 50.
you have to realize the ages of the voters. It seems like anyone who dies prematurely or tragically gets on the list. How can Justin get on the list instead of Janet? The Eagles? Earth, Wind and Fire barely making the list instead we have Parliament. Aerosmith at 30? What about five. Bob Dylan may write great ballads but my dead mother can sing better
I AGREE!!!
Really if this list is screwed some type of way. If you have Beyonce, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake on this list, the obvious question is “Where’s Usher?” Arguably one of the biggest pop star in the world, and has been on the same level as Beyonce and has been surpassed Justin TImberlake. Really is you have those two are on the list he most defiantly should be her too. He has sold way more then they have with Confessions(one of the greatest albums of the decade/)
I know. How is it Justin Timberlake is on the list, and Beyonce is so high, and Usher is not on it.
Agree. I dont think beyonce or jay z should be on the list. well I guess they should but be bumped down some
Wait, BOB DYLAN no. 2? Over MICHAEL JACKSON?? Oh, no, I don’t think so. Personally, I’d have liked to see Michael at #1, although I can totally understand and agree with The Beatles topping him, but he should have been #2 at least. But worse than that is BOB DYLAN being #2???? I personally never liked Bob Dylan, but even so, I just don’t think he changed the world of music and did half as much as Michael.
Dylan was political and demanded change…..very controversial. He was not afraid to stand up for what he believed. Was a great song writer and wrote for a whole generation.. That is why he is ranked so high.
I liked Michael in the early days but as he got older and began to change himself, he creeped me out. Anyone who has to grab themselves during a stage performance has some serious issues. He should have been in the top 20 not top 10.
MJ was #2, not #3…. just sayin
THEY HAVE MJ AT #2, DYLYN #5 .
200 artists were polled, it just wasn’t VH1 selecting these artist. Great to know the classics still live on………Beatles, Dylan, Marley, Hendrix and Niel Young. We had almost everyone on our own list. It’s a shame no one polled Sinatra, Garland, Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday. Some of the greatest artist were back in the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s. We had fun watching the poll and some great debates came out of it.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is most bullshit list I’ve ever seen. Who the fuck votes for Sade Sade and not Credence Clearwater Revival or T. Rex? And ivyjinx, your list is probably the worst I’ve ever seen. Period. Shinedown and Saliva? Gag me. And the fact that Justin Timberlake and Beyonce even made the fucking list is a joke in and of itself.
How can you have Nirvana and Radiohead without the pixies? Nirvana and Radiohead should be on the list, don’t get me wrong, but Thom Yorke and Kurt Cobain are quoted as saying that they were just trying to sound like the pixies when they started.
this list really has some people in the wrong order. beyonce should not be that high on the list above people like tom petty and the heartbreakers. i mean come on! and jay-z, justin timberlake, coldplay, and alicia keys should be thrown off the list. prince should not be ahead of elvis. i am very surprised that the red hot chilli peppers were not on the list at all. i am also surprised the eagles did not make the list. the host of the show did say that 50 cent was on the panel of judges, so i guess that should tell you something.
Where is Santana by far 1 of the greatest guitarist of all time and still going strong!! New order??? Oh and in my opinion kanye west is a better all around artist then jayz. I seen that Biggie was on the list already and since jayz bit all his lyrics it’s like Biggie made the list twice…
i agree with a lot of people, especially jay z, he deserves to be on the list but not over tupac, biggie, em, nwa, public enemy, parliament, or outkast. this makes list not legit and where is frank sinatra and nat king, the list is not bad, but to be a good one they need to rearrange ALOT of artist
I agree a shitload. Jay is to high. And they left alot of ppl out. And yea they didnt put elvis or sinatra. Im not that much of an elvis fan but I kno he has a crapload of fans
Stone Temple Pilots?
lmao @ beyonce ranked as a greater artist than Tom Petty and the <3Breakers
They must have just thrown a list together…i mean Bon Jovi isn’teven on it and they are the Number One Tour for 2010 and 2008. Theybrought in the most money for both of those tours and been around for25 years….now that’s a “Greatest Artist of all Time”
They must have just thrown a list together…i mean Bon Jovi isn’t even on it and they are the Number One Tour for 2010 and 2008. They brought in the most money for both of those tours and been around for 25 years….now that’s a “Greatest Artist of all Time”
CCR Definitely should of been on there and if you ask me Oasis!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think rap should be on there just my opinion! but if your gonna put it on you got to put dr dre on there and take Jayz off. PS CCR. Oasis. Foo fighters. Chicago. bon jovi. red hot chilli peppers. slide. HELL EVEN STP.? oh yeah get Green day off there!!!
sorry i meant Slade
why shouldn’t rap be on the list? is it because YOU don’t understand the art form completely? Rap is the most original music form on the planet…look how many people copy this art form world wide… Now look at the impact this minority has on the majority…it’s the fastest growing music form in the world…. it’s the music of the future, keep up or get left behind.
Agree why isnt dr dre there but jay is. No founding fathers of rap which is sad. And yea I agree kick green day off. Im not a fan of elvis or Bon Jovi but they would of made alot more sense then Green day
I do not understand how they didn’t mention The Pixies. The Pixies have inspired so many bands, and still do. Without them, weezer or modest mouse wouldn’t even exist. Aerosmith made the list. What a fucking joke.
still, no pixies. i have a huge problem with that. no bjork either. something seriously wrong.
There are so many problems with the order, that I’m not even going to get into that. I do have a bone to pick with the fact that Simon & Garfunkel and Sonic Youth are completely absent from the list.
Also, I have to disagree with the people that have stated that Bob Dylan was less influential than Michael Jackson and that he didn’t change music the way MJ did. There is no doubt that MJ has influenced every Pop and R&B artist since he came out. However, his music wasn’t crafted by him–and it wasn’t as revolutionary as Dylan’s.
Bob Dylan was a chameleon of music, and he has influenced in Rock, Folk, Pop, and Country. Not to mention the fact that the man is a straight up poet. Not too many people wrote lyrics that impacted people as much as his.
Are you kidding me? This list is a travesty. What is the criteria to get on this list? I do agree that most belong, but where are the Eagles, Bon Jovi, 4 Seasons (Frankie Valli), Sinatra, CCR, Chicago, ELO, Roy Orbison? If Lennon and McCartney made the list as solo’s, why not put Ringo and Geroge on it . They had hits as solo artists. Elvis should’ve been in the top 5. Whoever did this list and put Dylan at #2 must be his smoking buddy or poking fun at him because Dylan’s music is #2 (shyt).
Rod Stewart ,come on,should be on list
First of all Stevie wonder is the greatest artist of all time…no disrespect to the Beatles or Bob Dylan but, musically and lyrically Stevie is superior… and did I mention he is blind, hes a pure genius. Second of all, the people who started rock n roll music are no where in the top ten…how dose Elvis rank hirer than the people he stole his music from?
i wouldnt put stevie above the beatles or zep but he is the greatest r and b artist ever
I respect your opinion but how come the R&B/soul singer can’t be ahead of a rock n roll star? Stevie mastered more instruments, had better lyrics, a better voice and he is blind. I’m a fan of rock but I’m just looking at the overall picture…to me that is the work of a genius….the other guys are just great musicians.
dont get me wrong i love stevie hes right up there with elton john as best solo artist ever but with beatles and zep u had multiple members that were best ever like paul and john robert plant jimmy page………….so i give them a very slight edge
i would say paul mccartney is the most important artist ever…..fronting the beatles having another great band in wings and a good solo career….to me hes number 1 as far as being important
the most underated band of all time is sweet…they are remembered for songs like little willy ballroom blitz and fox on the run….but the other songs were just as good…if they had better managers and got to the states they woulda been right up there….also the moody blues …they played a style of music that was almost spiritual so the masses might not have been turned on to them but as far as being musicaly sound they were amazing
Moody Blues……they definately belong in there. 3 Dog Night should be there too!
i apprecitae the artists that have appeared and look foward to seeeing the top 20. but i must say im only 23 but have come to love all new and old music and prefer the old. i believe that some of the artists that already appeared should have been in the top twenty acdc, aerosmith, johnny cash tinaturner and the doors. i will be upset if michael jackon or madonna get #1 because they has been artists that since the 60s till this day are still very well listened to and are notjust @for a decade or two like michael and madonna.
oh and where are the eagles zztop carlos santana usher lil wayne frank sinatra brittany spears just kidding fuck no
Everyone who is bitchin about this list is just a bunch of pussies. Who fucking cares, it’s vh1. Cool. You fuckin bitches.
where is buddy holly?!
where is beck?!
ya this list sucks, i mean common, jay-z?! no one is going to be listening to jay-z in 10 years. Justin Timberlake?! Mariah Carey?! This is Retarded. to me a “great artist” is someone who is going to be listened to for generations and generations to come.
well .. at least prince and The Clash made the list. which makes me happy but c’mon vh1.
Hahaha exactly how I feel. I still listen to the beatles and Bob marley. John Lennon and Bob Marley have been dead for 30 YEARS PEOPLE! They deserve a spot on this list. I already dont listen to mariah or jay or beyonce. Jt is ok but if they put him as someone else says then put usher also
is madonna even on the list? I’m not a madonna fan, but I know that she’s been popular and huge since the 80′s.. she should be labeled as a great artist.
velvet undground, ok thats good.
Prince should stay where he is. yup ABOVE Elvis,prince did it all from new wave to rock to ballads to funk and Elvis is just one sided to me.Ok Elvis had the 50s and 60′s and not much in the 70′s but Prince had the 70′s,80′s,90′s,AND HE IS STILL DOING MUSIC!!! and come on Elvis just isn’t FUNKY!
P.S
Don’t say the only reason elvis is making musidc anymore is because he passed away, nope he would be somewhere livin’ off the fat of the land. IN MY OPINION!
Obviously, these are the opinions of a group of people. But the people who really count are the ones who buy the records or cds. And that can only be displayed by record sales. That is why Billboard is the only list that I respect as valid. If this were a Billboard countdown Bob Dylan would not be in the top 10 although arguably he is great in that he is truly unique. But, Lionel Richie would be #29 and his group, the Commodores would be #54. This is based on record sales. And Usher is #21 and the great Elton John is at #3. This is based on record sales and you know what, I can’t argue with it because I know Lionel Richie is the man.But, he’s not on Vh1′s list. They always snub him and I don’t give their list any validity. Just opinions of some very small minds.
Where the Hell is Muse in this list?!
Y would muse be on here. ppl always mention there fav bands and expect them to b on here. No offense I dont kno y muse would make the list
Dave Matthews Band?
The Eagles?
RHCP?
Amateurs.
agree^
Where’s Bieber?
Bieber sucks dicks you fucking fag
Oh my god, yes! I was waiting for an answer like this…. I just KNEW some little kid was going to say Bieber… haha… you funny.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. If they voted Bieber into this I dont care if it was paul mccartney himself as a judge w tyler and Mick Jagger I would never watch a Vh1 list agn I promise u that. I will BOYCOTT every show of theres and start a campaign. maybe a fb one or something. Bieber. hahaha. whats next hannah montana. I would probably have to kill myself. I mean I even have a hard time stomaching coldplay and green day. They are cool but I feel they havent done enough at least not yet. Jay z in the top 50 is very hard to fathom for me also. But Beaver! On this list. Ppl might burn down the studio im sorry to say.
Why isn’t Nat King Cole on the list? Yall be hatin’! & @!#$% everybody who doesn’t think Michael Jackson should be #1!
no it should be prince he wrote for you when he was 15.
where the hell is blink 182? green day is on this list and they’re a bunch of crappy sell outs
VH1 has solidified itself as music amateurs. blink 182, red hot chili peppers, neil diamond, the eagles, oasis.. all not on the list
a few things. 1 I am sick opf people Overrating Michael Jackson. I know he was great but not better than The Who and ESPECIALLY Led Zeppelin. 2 Where is Blondie on this list. They were better than the Ramones and Talking Heads as they were the Greatest to come out of CBGB’s. Also, How Can Madonna Be on this list but no Blondie. Guess What, Without Deborah Harry THERE WOULD BE NO MADONNA! She is just a bad copy of Debbie. No Deborah Harry, there would be no Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, or any good Front Women from the past 20 Years! How Can Elton John Not be Higher! This Is why I Hate Vh1 as they are just MainStream and don’t know what Good Music IS! Where is Thin Lizzy? Just another Fucked up, Crappy Vh1 List. Hey Vh1, FUCK YOU!
Michael Jackson should be number one! THE BEATLES CANNOT COMPARE TO HIM. All they did was drop acid and write shitty songs.
Michael Jackson is the number ONE pedophile what did Michael “”"Write”" that is soooooooooooooo great compared to the Beatles? how about one FOURTH of the Beatles? He had impact true ….but more than the Beatles? You are on crack dude. Beatle s did it all in ten years and then had careers after that. why even reply…..its so obvious. WHere is CCR….I cant believe I missed them.
Im tired of asking what did he write!!! He wrote 9 number one songs: billie jean (one of rolling stones magazines greatest songs of all time), beat it (another), the way you make me feel, bad, dirty diana, i just cant stop loving you, dont stop til you get enough, and we are the world . plus he wrote 20 top ten hits… he didnt co write songs (lennon/mccartney no offense) he wrote them by himself and produced…… He is the freakin SONGWRITER HALL OF FAME and won a grammy for PRODUCER OF THE YEAR . LOOK IT UP….. JUST BCUZ YOU DONT LIKE HIM PERSONALLY DONT TAKE AWAY WHAT HE DID MUSICALLY
i love coldplay, but you can’t have them on this list, especially as high as #67 and not have oasis on this list
The artists that have been around the longest and made the biggest impact should be towards the #1 end of the list- Although John Lennon is on here, he deserves to be at LEAST in the top ten. Look at all the other artists on this list he influenced? And really, Slash has said that Aerosmith is one of his biggest influences. So why is Guns n Roses right next to them, only 2 spots up? And it is a well known fact that Chuck Berry is a HUGE influence on virtually EVERY CLASSIC ROCK BAND. He deserves to be higher on the list too. The list should be restricted to timeless artists ONLY. Ones that will still be listened to decades from now. Some are several decades old and are still well known. So SADE?? Who the hell is that anyway??
I’m sorry but considering this supposedly a list of the greatest musical artists, how were Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robert Johnson left completely off the list? They were two of the greatest guitarists of all time and you’d be hard presses to find anyone who would dispute that.
agree. used to jam w my cousin to his tunes. But hey theres a shit load of other artists that are totally off to. Elvis, sinatra? As someone said poveratti or Nat King cole or elton john? Im not a fan of any of these artists but I was surprised they weren’t on here either. O yea and someone said Santana is gone. Im pissed to that hes not here
I am so freaking angry about the entire countdown for the most part. I MEAN, WHO PUTS MADONNA BEFORE QUEEN? What is this world coming to…
yeah yeah, where’s Frank Sinatra?
frank sinatra is a fag
wtf is ur problem!? Go fuck off your the fag here
You have got to be kidding!!! Where Is SMOKEY ROBINSON!!!!!!??????!!!!!!!!!!
are you kidding me? this list is fucking shit! Where the hell are the other real artists? This is the list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list! Not the Some Artists Are Great and the Rest Fucking Suck list!! VH1 can’t have an artist that isn’t a 60′s, 70′s, 80′s, or 90′s rock band or a semi-old shitty pop artist? This list sucks so much dick! Fuck this list! Better sounds come out of my dog’s ass than a few artists on this list!! WTF!?!
I’m just glad that there is no mention of the Grateful Dead or Jerry Garcia on this list because that would have upset me really bad. what a joke
WHERE THE FUCK IS LIL WAYNE! i know a lot of people dont agree but you have to admit he has a shit load of fans and just bcause he isn some one you care for he still has fans across the world.. more then fucking COLDPLAY who had like one hit on the radio
YOU HAVE TO be 15 years old and a complete Moron at 15 to say that
I love lil wayne and I am not a huge fan of Coldplay. Actually i like Lil Wayne more but Coldplay has a huge fan base in the UK and has had more than one hit. That have had several. I was surprised that they were on the list though. I don’t get why Louis Armstrong wasn’t on it. Or Elliott Smith
This list is a travesty!!. Coldplay being on this list makes this a complete joke.
Where is Deep Purple? The Eagles? Frank Zappa? Janis Joplin? George Benson? Grateful Dead? Sex Pistols? Buddy Holly? BB King? Stevie Ray Vaughn? Jeff Beck? Iron Maiden? Thin Lizzy? Frank Sinatra? Miles Davis? Charlie Parker? John Coltrane? King Crimson? Chopin? Beethoven? Mozart? and 100s of other “ARTISTS” that deserves to be on this list. Some of these artists doesnt even write their own songs for Christ sake!!!
Im not a big fan but even Lionel Ritchie but even he probably deserves to be on this list over some of these other dumbasses.
Ah at least Janis was on the list but still very low for one of the greatest female singer of all time
Joplin is on the List
YOUR LIST IS WRONG….
#1 AND #2 MJ AND BEATLES….THIS LIST SUCKS……
@ wayno…Show me a better band then the Beatles. They influenced the culture of the world more than any other musical group in history. They wrote the Rolling Stones first hit song. They wrote songs for countless others. The had more hit records than anyone else. Their ability to write a song can not be matched. The Beatles are one of the only reasons I believe in God.
GET OVER IT . THE BEATLES ARE AND ALWAYS WILL THE MOST INFULENTIAL,THE MOST POPULAR, THE MOST TALENTED SINGER SONG WRITERS OF ALL TIME!!!!!! FREDERIK FUCKING SHOPENS GOT NOTING ON THE BEATLES. I’LL BE YOUR HUCKlEBERRY. ha ha.
FRANK SINATRA…..IS NOT A ROCK ARTISTS…SOMEONE IS STUPID
Michael should have been Number 1. No one can beat Michael. NO ONE. Bob Dylan??? Really? Please! I’m not a big Beatles fan either, but Michael is my favorite and he should be number ONE. Prince should be Number 2.
i know these stupid fags are retarded
Bob Dylan didn’t beat MJ. MJ was actually number 2. I just watched it. The list is wrong. Bob Dylan was like #5
@ mikejoejacklover58 Micheal Jackson himself bought the rights to Beatles songs because he new they would make him money…hmmm i wonder why? Cause they are the best..period. There really is no comparison…the Beatles played their own instruments…made their own careers… Changed the way all musicians recorded music….wrote ALL of their own songs BY THEMSELVES…Micheal sang…and danced…
Michaels ability to dance as he did put him ranked where he is. Take away the dancing and MJ comes up well short. He had a gift and he used it.
HE WROTE 9 NUMBER ONE SONGS, INCLUDING BILLIE JEAN AND BEAT IT.. LOOK IT UP.. HE IS IN THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME… HE DIDNT JUST SING AND DANCE.. PROMISE YOU THAT
where the fuck is paul fucking simon
Seriously where is paul simon. Hall and fucking oates? I’m going to walk into a bathroom, shove my head in the toilet and drown myself.
how the fuck are the temptations not on the list? -_-
i know these fucking retards temptations are the best alot better than the fucking beatles
@ Jestra18…The Beatles beat the temptations because they wrote their own music…the tempations just sang…they were good at harmonizing…but the Beatles did that too…plus they wrote their own music…sang it…performed it…anyone else remember TemptationMANIA? No i didn’t think so…
The fact that Beyonce got on the list and Janet Jackson didnt make it at all have my mind boggling…Im mad confused about that…Also Jay Z placing higher than Biggie and Tupac is a bunch of bull crap
Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize that. Yeah, why the hell is Beyonce so high? There are way better artists out there… Janet Jackson should be on this list.
Where the F*** is Avenged Sevenfold!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?! Very disappointing?
I grew up in the 80s so I am biased but I am still SHOCKED that Bon Jovi didn’t make the Top 100. 25+ years of wrting and singing songs. Unlike a lot of crap on this list, that merely just sung songs handed to them by a talented songwriter. Bon Jovi has sold more than 100 Million albums. Most of this list can’t say that. Artists that vote will never choose them since they weren’t influenced by Bon Jovi. Oh well. They still rock and they are known Worldwide. F – VH1. This list is all based on opinion of Artists of all types of music and honestly, it should not have been combined. The legendary bands will always be at the top. MJ is the only one that can compete and rightfully so.
I agree.
Tool Tool Tool Tool Tool WHERE THE FUCK IS TOOL ON THIS LIST!?!?!?!?!!?
Smashing Pumpkins?
Alice in Chains?
Nine Inch Nails?
These bands were incredibly influential!!!! WAS ANYONE AT VH1 FUCKING ALIVE IN THE 90s?!?!?
yeah,,Red Hot Chili Pepper!!! I agree with ya.
Yea Alice in chains should have been on there…faith no more..ozzy osbourne..megadeth..soundgarden..yeah they f-up the list
What a screwed up order to start with! Where is ZZ Top, Foreigner, BTO, Boston, CCR, Bon Jovi, Bad Company, Billy Squire and Chicago just to name a few? These bands were far better than some of the ones listed.
I agree with Chicago! They should be in there for sure! :)
What, no love for the creditreport.com band? Seriously, this list is whacked.
lol
The final 5 were wrong, no way Bob Dylan beats MJ!!!
Right order
05 Bob Dylan
04 Rolling Stones
03 Led Zeppelin
02 Michael Jackson
01 The Beatles
@ Justine Del Gaudio I disagree with you only because Bob Dylan wrote almost all of the music he recorded and performed. Micheal Jackson did not. Most of his songs were written by other people. He did actually beat him on the list. This list on this website is wrong. Micheal was number 2 on the tv show.
no one can make a real top 100 anything if the thing theyre discussing is so vast. it was kind of stupid making it sure but geeze people shouldnt jump down this dudes throat so hard
WTF, Red Hot Chili Peppers aren’t there!!! Journeys made the list but not RHCP??? I stayed up late waiting to see where they were on the stupid idiot list,,,well, now i dont give a crap.
completely agree
How are the Doors only 65th? They’re like one of the top American bands of all time…..and I know a lot of this list is based on popularity but where is Jeff Buckley…..the dude pretty much influenced a lot of the male singers of the last 20 years…cough cough Thom Yorke and is probably one of the top 5 male vocalists of all time.
I’m just wanted to point out, that they have the top five out of order. I just finished watching the show and the top five were:
5. Bob Dylan
4. The Rolling Stones
3. Led Zepplin
2. Michael Jackson
1. The Beatles
They did have a couple more out of order, but I don’t remember which ones.
I think everyone is going to disagree with the list because we all could make our own Top 100 lists in a heartbeat. That’s the beauty of musical diversity. In MY opinion, I would have liked to have seen jazz make an appearance in there (Miles Davis, Coltrane, Bill Evans). Being a huge Beatles fan, I am pleased that they are #1, but when it came to John and Paul’s solo stuff, my vote goes to Paul over John. He was more prolific and is still goin! I love them both, but I just found that a bit odd that Macca wasn’t closer to the top. Queen should’ve made the Top 10. Though his life was tragically cut short, I would’ve liked to seen Jeff Buckley somewhere in the Top 100—voice of an angel! The Eagles should be in the list. Glad to see Led Zeppelin in the Top 5…I would’ve given them #2, had it been my list. Oh well….like I said….we could all make our own lists :)
I also think Abba deserves EVERY BIT of being on the list. Many do not realize that at one time they were the MOST SUCCESSFUL BAND IN THE WORLD DOMINATING EUROPE. ABBA makes me happy.
No Tribe Called Quest, No The Verve, No credibility to this list.
This order is actually wrong from what was on the show. Micheal Jackson was number 2. And Zepplin was number 3.
hell no the beatles Are number mj should be number 1
Even though the list sucked big time in many ways – the entertainment was enjoyable. Disappointed in not seeing Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Four Seasons, Eagles, Santana, amongst others. Bob Marley before Marvin Gaye, Prince before Elvis!???! – Think not.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned the fact that The Temptations were left off the list!
And as soon as I post this, I find that someone HAS mentioned them…my bad.
Oh, come on every body, any list made by anybody is going to be hated by everybody else. Besides there’s only 100 spots!! You can’t fit the best artist from the last 30 years, much less the last 60 (All time?) Looking at the bigger picture, I see a lot of different types of music here, you can’t say they didn’t get a bunch of your favorite groups on the list. They certainly didn’t get all of my favorites, but that leaves more room for yours.. I think for a ballsy first crack at it, they did a pretty good job.. keep on rockin, rappin, reagean, grungin, or whatever!!!!
It think the list is a joke, it sounds like a list MTV might come up with.
Alicia Keys number 100? I mean really, there are so many, so many great artists, unknown to the public, that have not made it into the list, and all the commercial “artists” have made it into the list???
I honestly expected more from VH1
What about Tom Waits?
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT DIANA ROSS OR THE SUPREMES WERE OMITTED FROM YOUR SO-CALLED LIST. IT IS A CROC TO SAY THE LEAST. YOU INCLUDE STUPID ROCK GROUPS LIKE AC-DC AND NIRVANA WHO HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH CULTIVATING GOOD MUSIC AND LEAVE OUT INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE WHO HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR SINGERS TODAY. JAMES BROWN, SLY AND EVEN THE BEACH BOYS ARE ON THIS LIST SO WHY IN THE HELL DID’NT YOU INCLUDE ONE OF THE BIGGEST 60S ICONS ON THIS LIST OF YOURS. YOU DO KNOW THAT THE SUPREMES STILL HOLD THE TITLE AS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACTS OF THEIR OR ANYTIME ALONG WITH THE BEATLES AND ELVIS. ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID AND IGNORANT? DON’TYOU EVER TRY TO DO A LIST LIKE THIS WITHOUT BEING JUST A LITTLE BIT LESS NAIVE AND JUST PLAIN DUMB AND BIGOTED.
stop yelling
Billy..
The Supremes should definitely be listed near the top for the type of music they sang. Pick their type of music only, and the Supremes are at the very top of the list. They were the best ever female vocalists. that performed together.
VH 1 just ranked Janis Joplin as the 72nd best all time artist. Joplin was a better artist than the ranking she received. The fair and accurate thing to do is pick from the many generes of music.
It’s a matter of breaking down those who sang blues and soul, rock, rap, hip hop and all other types of music.
In an earlier comment, I failed to mention Santana and “Soul Sacrifice” that blew away the crowd at Woodstock. I saw that performance.
How about the Red Hot Chili Peppers!?! probally one of the greatest bands of all time! …well at least better than fuckin Hal & Oats
It is an outrage! They’re so awesome they even dissed Hall & Oates in their song “Nevermind”.
RHCP <3
omg finally someone who understands
I am at a loss for words that Red Hot Chili Peppers is not SOMETHING. And ladies and gentlemen…Coldplay is catchy and has talent but who the hell did they influence to be on the same list as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, 2Pac, etc??
Personally, the 1960s and 1970s produced some of the best ever artists. Grace Slick sang “White Rabbit” only one song which should put her on this list. Janis Joplins performance’s of “Ball and Chain”, and “Take Another Piece of My Heart”, in my opinion has her in the thick of it all.
Joplin’s version “Piece of my Heart” an Erma Franklin work, was more about transendence than anything. Joplin who did have a raspy and sometimes screeching voice, sang from her soul. An awful lot of great talent didn’t survive the 1960s and early “70s because of the drug culture.
How can someone overlook Jimi Hendrix possibly the greatest ever on guitar as he sang “Kiss the Sun” at Woodstock? Hendrix standing in for The Stones with Cream in the 1960s, blew the crowd away. Cream debated if they should continue the event.
It’s hard to select a 100 top best list. Each era has handed its artists better instruments, and a better sound-stage. The use of modern technology as a new era approached, has done wonders.
There are some bands that should have been on there..and some that shouldn’t….the ones that should have been on there…ozzy osbourne-Alice in chains-sound garden-faith no more-megadeth-rush should be higher up..Justin timerlake-beyonce-jay z..shouldn’t be on there they have been around long enough to be on the list that includes some rock ones too…oh well some people just don’t know good music…
What? No Allman Bros? No CSNY? No Bonnie Raitt? No Joan Jett? “Of all time” is too big a title. stick to genre lists.
N
I feel a little offended. Where the HELL is Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin??? Also, why the hell is Justin Timberlake on here but not Usher? Also, I’m not a fan of Lady Gaga, and I wouldn’t call her one of the best artists of all time… but why is it Beyonce makes it so high up on the list, but Lady Gaga doesn’t even show up on the list? Also, John Denver? Where is he. Also I’m not sure why Beyonce is above Whitney Houston. Seriously? And I love The Beatles… I actually love all top 3, but in my humble opinion Michael Jackson is the greatest entertainer of all time… really when you try to describe him, no solo artist even comes close.
Also, I totally think Coldplay deserves a spot on here
uli0080 | Posted at 5:07pm 0
Wow! no Sam Cooke or CCR?! tupac should easily be top 20. im sorry but i think MJ should be #1. wheres ZAPPA and Sinatra?! ill put morrissey instead of talking heads any day! coldplay is whack! shouldnt be on the list……Santana should be on here. buddy holy, van morrison
theres no way u can have the cure on a list and no morrissey! thats just pathetic. also Ray Charles should be top 10. wheres barry white….almon brothers……the everly brothers……social D……nina simone!!! i still cant believe santana and van morrison arent in there. Sam Cooke is my #1…..but he should at least be #50 on this carppy list. coldplay……what a joke!!!!! whats next?! lady gaga over aretha franklin……jonas brothers over the who……justin beiver over the jackson 5. btw where are the jackson 5 on this list! make me supervisor of this! i’ll do a killer list! dr dre, snoop, OMD, ccr!!!
Other that should have been on there….Duran Duran–chicago–heart–oliva newton John—creed–eagles–ozzy…
Where the heck was Patti Smith at??? The Godmother of Punk Music.
Wow, this is why I don’t watch this crap. Where’s Alice Cooper? Grateful Dead? Temptations? Santana? Ritchie Valens? Buddt Holly? Talk about influential artists that were passed over, and for what? Fly by night pop that will be forgotten in a few years like Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. There is definately a bias there. I think VH1 really missed the boat on this one.
It would be useful if VH1 posted all the ballots, perhaps anonymously. (This information is available for the annual Village Voice “Pazz and Jop” poll of music critics.) It would also have helped if instead of saying “of all time” they has said “Greatest musicians since 1955, in English speaking countries, and excluding jazz and country”.
One way to think about who should be on this list is to imagine the world 50 years or 100 years from now. Which of these artists made music that will hold up over time, that people will still listen to? Many huge stars of the past are never listened to now, e.g. Bing Crosby and Al Jolson were nearly as popular then as Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson.
If we look at who is listened to today from the past we discover that these musicians left a left a substantial body of work — many songs over many years, and great not just musically, but “from the heart”.
In my opinion the worst omission from this poll is Simon and Garfunkel.
i don’t know who actually watched the show on Vh1, but Michael Jackson actually came in 2nd place, whoever copied this list made a mistake. On a separate not i completely agree with everyone, this list has many great artists way to high up on the list
Nice list!
Here’s some obvious namse that somehow missed.
I wish they would release the artists names that voted!
Frankie Valli & Four Seasons
Allman Brothers
The Temptations
Diana Ross
Dave Matthews
Pearl Jam
Jimmy Buffet
James Taylor
Buddy Holly
Phish
Grateful Dead
Frank Sinatra
Paul Simon
Eric Clapton
well, It’s amazing the one band with the #1 selling album of ALL TIME,[ THE EAGLES], didn’t make it in the top 100 of this list. Behind such so called artists as” the cure”, “george michaels”,REALLLLLLY!!! OK! YOU GUYS KNOW BEST! One things for sure. Not even the great michael jackson or the beatles, whom I love, can boost the they have the album that more humans on this plant own……….!
wow suprised that the red hot chili peppers are not included considering that their way better than radiohead, pearl jam, green day, and aerosmith on any given day by far the best breakout band of the 90s.
shocked.
Iggy and the Stooges should have been number 1 !!!!!!♥
They’re so underrated, taken for granted & underestimated:(
ahh i fucking love IGGY POP!!!!
where are frank sinatra, carlos santana, cat stevens, jim croce, iron maiden, dare i say it TOOL…….. my god this list is truly endless
oh my god creedence
This list was compiled by today’s “Artists”…PROOF that we’re living in a TEPID Musial age…they voted VAN MORRISON 73rd! “Van the Man” SHOULD have been in the TOP TEN!
Not to mention…a list that leaves OFF Credence Clearwater Revival!
2pac shouda be in the top 20 or at least at jay-z’s place
where is rod stewart? an phil collins? both of them have sold more records than half the people on this list an elton john number 28 are the on drugs? this is the worrst list ive ever seen
First of All, I’m a big Michael Jackson fan and to have him n umber 2 behind the Beatles is just fine with me, especially if the list is based off of the influence the artist had on the industry because ofcourse the boys from Liverpool are always going to be number 1. BUT! Lets just get this clear, no one artist has ever reached the success of Michael Jackson and probably never will. People like to talk about the downfall but when he was on top, not only the industry but the entire world had never seen a star shine that bright. Bottom line is everybody has there own opinion on who they believe is the greatest, but when you base the argument on facts(the numbers and influence on the game), you can’t argue with MJ and the Beatles. How many artist are emulating Michael Jackson to this day?!?! And not the white Mike, Im talking about Thriller MJ from damn near 30 years ago!(Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ne-yo, Justin Bieber, Jason Derillo, Chris Brown, The Black Eye Peas(with the stage show) and so on and so on.
this list suckssssss, half the shit on this list is retared bands who had 1 hit if that an they got billy joel at 51 an elton john at 28 who are probly two of the best ever and then they leave out rod stewart and phill collins who ever voted on this list sucks
People, people. this list was actually not made by vh1. It was voted on by a pannel of 200 artists selected by vh1. 50 cent, Ozzy, Brett Michaels, P Diddy, James Hetfeild, Alecia Keys are just a few. Although each idividual artist has their own musical preferences, I think the list is, for the most part unbiased and basically what I expected to see. Do I agree with all of it? No i dont but thats just the way it is. This should have been based of influence, how long each artist made music, how much music they put out, and
popularity. In this case this would have been my top 10.
10. Bob Marley
9. James Brown
8. Bob Dylan
7. Prince
6. Jimi Hendrix
5. The Rolling Stones
4. Led Zeppelin
3. Michael Jackson
2. Elvis Presley
1. The Beatles
P.S. Bob Dylan was 5, the stones were 4, Zeppelin was 3, and Michael Jackson was 2 on the actual list
yeah thats what i was going to say this is way outta order